ATLANTA – It is mid-December, hardly the time of year legends are made. But for the Lakers, with one superstar who may or may not be playing on one leg and another who might have one foot out the door, a four-game trip has come at a time where results feel significant.

“There are always a lot of expectations,” Pau Gasol said. “It’s always been one of the positives and one of the things I loved about this franchise. Obviously, it has a downside. When things are not working out, the pot gets a little stirred and things could happen.”

Lately, those things include the possibility that Gasol, who has been in the spotlight for public critiques by Coach Mike D’Antoni, could get shipped in the same sort of midseason trade that brought him to the organization six years and two championships ago.

Restless chatter will only increase after a 114-100 loss Monday to the Atlanta Hawks at Philips Arena. The Lakers (11-13) have lost four of their five games since Kobe Bryant returned from Achilles’ surgery.

Bryant said the season, even as it could be heading off the rails, doesn’t have the same dire feeling as last season, when a toxic locker room led to on-court discord.

“I don’t really trip over it too much,” Bryant said. “As players we’ve got to stay focused on what we do and management obviously does the same thing on their end.”

The Lakers blew a halftime lead as the Hawks (13-12) outscored them, 35-19, in the third quarter. The Lakers were outrebounded and allowed 15 offensive rebounds resulting in 22 second-chance points.

“Every night it’s a different puzzle,” Bryant said, “so every night you’ve got to problem–solve. So tonight their rebounding is what hurt us. We weren’t able to cure that.”

The Hawks were the latest team to expose the Lakers’ point guard void, forcing the ball out of Bryant’s hands and killing any ball movement. Bryant was held to eight points, six assists and committed five turnovers.

Nick Young led the Lakers with 23 points off the bench, including five 3-pointers.

Gasol played perhaps his best half of the season before disappearing in the second. He made his first five shots and recorded 11 points and nine rebounds by halftime but finished with just 16 and 10. Jordan Hill was a strong complement, adding 21 points and nine rebounds.

But bright spots were little consolation.

“We just wilted,” D’Antoni said, “and obviously we can’t do that. We didn’t gut it out tonight.”

Farmar ramps up workouts

Bryant’s days as the starting point guard might be numbered, and that’s a good thing.

The Hawks' Jeff Teague strips the ball from the Lakers' Kobe Bryant during Monday's game in Atlanta. KEVIN C. COX, GETTY IMAGES
Pau Gasol and Kobe Bryant watch from the Lakers bench during Monday's loss to the Hawks in Atlanta. KEVIN C. COX, GETTY IMAGES
The Lakers' Pau Gasol drives against the Hawks' Al Horford. KEVIN C. COX, GETTY IMAGES
Kobe Bryant grabs a rebound against Atlanta's Paul Millsap. KEVIN C. COX, GETTY IMAGES
Lakers (left to right) Kobe Bryant, Pau Gasol and Wesley Johnson enjoy a laugh at the end of the first half against the Hawks on Monday. KEVIN C. COX, GETTY IMAGES
Lakers forward Nick Young and Hawks guard Shelvin Mack fight over a loose ball in the second half. JOHN BAZEMORE, AP
Kobe Bryant and Pau Gasol of the Lakers reach for a steal against DeMarre Carroll of the Hawks. KEVIN C. COX, GETTY IMAGES
Lakers guard Kobe Bryant works against Hawks forward DeMarre Carroll in the first half Monday. JOHN BAZEMORE, AP
Lakers forward Nick Young scores against the Hawks' Al Horford in the first half. JOHN BAZEMORE, AP
Atlanta's Paul Milsap, center right, chases the loose ball with the Lakers' Nick Young (0) and Pau Gasol (16) in the first half. JOHN BAZEMORE, AP

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